It is often desirable to interconnect printed electrical circuit boards or other substrates containing discrete components or semiconductor devices thereon. These printed circuit boards or substrates are generally rectangular and are frequently formed of fiberglass, ceramic, sapphire, or glass films. Arranged around the outer edges of these substrates are typically a number of conductive contact pads in the form of conducting film that are spaced from each other, these conducting films being electrically connected to the components on the substrate.
One common technique of providing electrical connection between such substrates is by an electrical jumper of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,755 issued to James F. Shiells, Jr., on Aug. 24, 1971. This jumper cable comprises a plurality of conductors encased in insulation, each conductor having a straight pin-like section extending from the insulation and serving as a contact element. Holes are typically provided in the contact pads on the substrate edges into which the pin-like conductor ends of the jumper cable are inserted and subsequently soldered. Another known technique of interconnecting electrical substrates is shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 50-133720 filed by Sharp K.K., wherein the ends of the jumper cable are formed to provide a pressure contact to the conductive pads on the substrate. A further technique of interconnecting electrical substrates is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,276, issued to Hazen Curtis, III on May 6, 1983, which is of the type having a clip portion for resilient connection and subsequent soldering to the conductive pads of a first substrate and a straight stem portion for insertion into holes in the conductive pads of another substrate.
While these techniques and others have been suitable for particular applications, there is a continuing need to improve the interconnections of printed circuit boards and the like, in particular, in the area of surface mount applications while providing reliability and flexibility of the designs.